Pope Francis proclaims September 7 as a day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria

All Regnum Christi members are being encouraged to participate in
the Holy Father’s proclamation that September 7, 2013, the vigil
of the birth of Mary, Queen of Peace, be a
day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria. (Click
here for the Zenit news article, and here
for the article about the US Bishops call for solidarity
with the Pope.)

Following is an excerpt from the Pope’s address
given September 1, 2013:

“…We will gather in prayer and in
a spirit of penance, invoking God’s great gift of peace
upon the beloved nation of Syria and upon each situation
of conflict and violence around the world. Humanity needs to
see these gestures of peace and to hear words of
hope and peace! I ask all the local churches, in
addition to fasting, that they gather to pray for this
intention.

Let us ask Mary to help us to respond to
violence, to conflict and to war, with the power of
dialogue, reconciliation and love. She is our mother: may she
help us to find peace; all of us are her
children! Help us, Mary, to overcome this most difficult moment
and to dedicate ourselves each day to building in every
situation an authentic culture of encounter and peace. Mary, Queen
of Peace, pray for us!”

The suggested prayer is:

Prayer and Intercession
for Peace in Syria

God of Compassion,Hear the cries of
the people of Syria.Comfort those who suffer violence.Console
those who mourn the dead.Give strength to Syria’s neighboring
countries to welcome the refugees.Convert the hearts of those
who have taken up arms,And protect those who are
committed to peace.God of hope,Inspire leaders to choose
peace over violence and to seek reconciliation with their enemies.Inflame the Universal Church with compassion for the people of
Syria.And give us hope for a future built on
justice for all.We ask this through Jesus Christ, the
Prince of Peace and Light of the world. Amen